Ep506 - I Became a Drunkard in a Martial Arts Novel.

With relentless persistence, the demons swarmed in, day in and day out. The fortress wall, steadily elevated for ease of defense, towered high and imperious above. Standing atop it, Baek Woo-jin gazed into the distance. A staggering horde of twenty thousand demons and beasts lay ahead. And at the forefront, the fanatical followers of the Devil Cult surged forward like a tidal wave. Lastly, hovering above, walking through the air as if reigning supreme, was the Heaven-Destroyer. "...It's quite a spectacle." Even though they were the enemy, he had to acknowledge their formidable presence. They exuded profound determination and seemed courageous, as if they had long transcended the fear of death. Their steps towards certain doom allowed no space for distractions. It was both fearsome and bewildering. “If anyone saw this, they might mistake them for the heroes and us for the villains.” Yet here they were, greedily encroaching on others' lands, having grown strong through all kinds of vile methods. "Ugh, spit!" Baek Woo-jin spat thickly over the fortress wall before turning away. In contrast, another grand scene unfolded behind him. The members of the Orthodox Alliance had rushed over in a single bound. Even the reclusive figures who had read the proclamations posted by the alliance had come to lend a hand. Unlike the Devil Cult outside, which was uniform in appearance and spirit, these people were truly diverse. Various martial robes—green, black, white—created a kaleidoscope of color, bustling to the point of being visually overwhelming. Moreover, their mental preparation was not as resolute as the enemy’s, who seemed ready to face death. While they came with enthusiasm, the majority were plagued by a fear of dying. So, was this a war doomed to fail before it even began? Not necessarily. To prove this, Baek Woo-jin raised his voice to the motley crew of martial artists. "The Devil Cultists are swarming toward us from afar." "......!" A murmur began among them. Now that the war was imminent, the pressure seemed severe. To quell the commotion, Baek Woo-jin imbued his voice with internal energy and shouted. "Is there anyone here willing to see them up close?" Among them, those who seemed to have a bit more resolve raised their hands hesitantly. Baek Woo-jin selected one person and gestured for him to come forward. "Climb up here." The man responded. "I apologize, but my martial arts aren't strong enough to leap up there in one go." A small chuckle escaped at the unexpected answer. Baek Woo-jin chuckled lightly and spoke to him again. “Don’t worry about reaching it; just jump with all your might.” “If you say so… alright.” The man gathered his internal energy and leaped as high as he could. While it was quite high, it still fell short of reaching the top of the wall. Just as he seemed destined to fall back down. "What, what...!" The man's body stopped midair, suspended. Then, as if defying gravity, he ascended through the air and landed softly atop the wall. How was such a thing possible? "Huh, air manipulation...!" Air Manipulation. A kind of martial technique that uses internal energy to move distant objects. Though it's quite challenging, it wasn't impossible. Each practitioner of superior or pinnacle martial skill could easily move small objects. However, moving a person was on another level entirely. It's not only about weight; intervening in the air with a living being demands mastery bordering on the supernatural. "The level of proficiency attained... is astounding." "I heard the Heavensblade God was incredible, but to think it was to this extent...!" "They say he fought evenly with the Heaven-Destroyer...." Exclamations of awe poured in from all directions. Baek Woo-jin stood before them, maintaining an aloof demeanor while swallowing a sigh of relief. "I thought I was going to drop dead." The man's mobility was worse than expected. The distance he had to pull him was greater, and carrying such a weight was no easy task. It nearly drained all his internal energy. Had the distance been any longer, or had the man struggled during the pull, it could have been a precarious situation. Concealing these thoughts, he maintained a calm expression as he turned to the man beside him. "Do you see that—those swarms of Devil Cultists approaching like clouds?" The advancing cultists were now close enough that even the man’s inadequate eyesight could clearly spot them. “I-I see them.” In that instant, the man’s previously unyielding confidence seemed to waver at the sight before him. Imagination and reality were starkly different. Seeing tens of thousands of demons and cultists in person made his knees quiver. Knowing this, Baek Woo-jin asked nonetheless. "How do you feel? Are you still not afraid of death? Do you think you can rush toward them and fight right now?" His words deftly played upon the man's emotions. ‘Can you really maintain your bravado after seeing this?’ With a tone seemingly designed to belittle, the man pounded his chest in defiance and shouted. "Of course! I may not be the most skilled warrior, but I am no coward who would turn away from the martial world's crisis!" “Hmm... I see.” Baek Woo-jin nodded with a cryptic expression. "I understand your determination. You may descend now." “…Could you help me down as you did before?” Without opening his mouth, using ventriloquism, Baek Woo-jin replied sharply to the man's reluctant request. "Do you want me to snap your legs clean off?" “……!” “Get down yourself, easily.” “Y-yes, understood.” Terrified by Baek Woo-jin’s biting tone, the man quickly scampered down. Just moments later, with a smile once again gracing his face, Baek Woo-jin addressed the assembly. "Let me ask you, are any of you truly unafraid of this war?" Someone shouted out. "We are not small-minded! We are willing to lay down our lives for the martial world!" That declaration ignited a chorus of agreement from everyone present. "He speaks the truth!" "We do not fear death!" "We’d rather perish than let the heart of our world fall into their hands!" A resounding cheer erupted. Yet, this was but an illusion. Once faced with the enemy in reality, this bravado could dissolve into nothingness. "It seems my thoughts differ from yours." His voice, smooth and resonant, quelled the crowd’s fervor. Baek Woo-jin continued speaking. "I am afraid." Unlike them, Baek Woo-jin did not entertain delusions. "The demons approaching terrify me, the thought of my own death frightens me, and the fear of my comrades..., and even you all being brutally slain by them is very real to me." In every battle, he felt the same. Always fearful, with an unsettling discomfort lingering in his heart. "Would you say it is wrong of me to harbor such feelings?" “…….” “…….” They claimed they were not small-minded enough to fear when the survival of the central martial world hung in the balance. Could they then criticize Baek Woo-jin for his perceived cowardice? Certainly not. In the previous war against the Blood Sect, he roamed through the overwhelmed battlefields, rescuing the threatened martial artists, ultimately facing the Sect Leader and securing victory in the war. Even now, he was preparing to face the enemy directly in the impending war against the Devil Cult. Who could fault someone who had never once flinched in the face of danger? "Fear is the most vital emotion in war." He continued speaking to the assembly, who stared back at him in confusion. "If I fear my own death, the deaths of others also frighten me. Naturally, this means we can reach out to help our comrades when they are on the brink of death." But those who dismiss death have a different mindset. When their comrades face mortal danger, they do not lend a hand. 'Go on, I’ll follow you soon!' Holding onto such utterly ridiculous thoughts, they simply edge closer to their own demise. "Killing the enemy? It’s crucial, of course. However!" The spirit of sacrificing one's life to take down many enemies with them is commendable. But the victory that Baek Woo-jin sought was not like that. "Saving the life of a comrade standing beside you is worth more than killing dozens of enemies. Those who survive will save my life and the lives of others, enabling us to cut down even more foes rather than just one or two before falling." Put positively, it was a change in perspective; negatively, it could be seen as sophistry. Some might have tried to counter his argument. However, such discussions were only hypothetical. The opposition lacked concrete evidence to refute his logic. But he had proof. Records of saving countless lives and achieving victories with this very reasoning were on his side. "I have saved hundreds, thousands of lives, secured victories and survived thanks to it." This was Baek Woo-jin’s message to them. ‘I've won battles and saved lives with this logic until now. Any challenge to that?’ Could any voice speak out against the person writing the martial world’s history? It resonated with them, for it was accompanied by undeniable proof. Yet, faith couldn't merely be imposed through words. "Even if you don't believe me, that doesn't matter. Just watch. I will save you and this land with this mindset." All that was needed was to show them. When the decisive battle unfolded, he would demonstrate it for all to see. That would be the time when the flower truly bloomed. Right now, this is merely the act of sowing seeds for that flower to bloom. "Forget those grandiose illusions of saving the Central Plains." Having successfully planted a small seed in the hearts of the people, Baek Woo-jin raised his voice. "From now on, we will!" At that moment, he drew his sword, thrusting it towards the sky as he continued his call. "Protect our comrades!" It was the proposition of a new objective. Dreams too vast to capture at a glance can often weary people before they are even within reach. What is needed at such times is the gradual achievement of goals. Rather than dreaming immediately of something immense, start by accomplishing the smaller steps that lead to it. Slaying one enemy doesn’t immediately tell you whether the Central Plains has been saved. But whether a comrade beside you was saved or not is instantly apparent. While this notion hadn't yet resonated deeply within their hearts, leaving them somewhat confused, someone followed Baek Woo-jin’s lead, drawing their sword and shouting, "Protect our comrades!" The cry began to echo from place to place. Following in succession, others began to shout. “P-protect... our comrades?” “Protect our... comrades!” Protect our comrades-! Those who initiated this chant were members of the Hao Sect. They were Baek Woo-jin's loyal followers, planted precisely for such an occasion. Watching the public opinion shift almost instantly due to their influence, Baek Woo-jin grinned broadly. ‘Indeed, nothing beats a well-crafted rally.’ The heart of the hero, poised before the grand task of saving two worlds, was no longer gripped by stark black or white—but rather drenched in an indefinable, murky gray hue. Author's Note I’ll see you in the next chapter. Thank you for reading as always. Have a wonderful day. (_ _)